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Green Party to enter Talks with Fianna Fail Tomorrow, Possibility of Alternative Coalition are ‘Remote’
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From their press office;
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Green Party, at its meeting today, endorsed the recommendation of the Party Leader Trevor Sargent TD, to enter exploratory talks with Fianna Fail about the formation of a new government.
This follows extensive communications with members of the Party throughout the country. The Party’s NEC expressed full confidence in the negotiating team.
The talks will commence tomorrow (Sunday) at 11am at Government Buildings.
The Green Party enters these talks in good faith and in the sincere hope that we can bring about a stable government and a sustainable future for this country.
In spite of our best efforts the prospects for an alternative coalition look remote.
No word on whether Trevor is being asked to carry out his promise to quite. Senator Dan Boyle it seems.
I’m a little surprised that they tip their hand a bit in the last sentence — handing one ace to FF in signalling they don’t think that they have an alternative.
That last sentence is weird. What do Irish people understand by “alternative coalition”? Do the Greens know what they’re saying? … what they’re doing?
They won’t go into coalition with FF with Trevor as leader, will they?
They won’t go into coalition with FF without stopping US military use of Shannon, will they?
They won’t go into coalition with FF without saving Tara, will they?
They won’t go into coalition with FF without an immediate end to fluoridation, will they?
etc. etc.
or those of you wondering what the Green Party are doing.
The party are following a clear strategy outlined in advance of the election. Whoever they were negotiating with (and the GP wanted to negotiate) they had three deal makers:
* Tackling climate change
* Reforming local government
* Providing top-class education for all children
Addressing climate change makes economic sense we are energy dependent andare already suffering from rising energy costs. The GP will make energy conservation and renewable generation happen.
Cleaning up politics requires proper planning and a democratic system that is free from potential corruption. This means reform of local government funding and giving local council the powers they need.
The GP also consider education a sound investment. They want to invest €1bn extra in education in each of the five years of the next government. They have set out clearly where we will spend it and where the money will come from.
These are the basis for a programme for government and I personally believe FF will will step up to the mark when push comes to shove. I also believe that the electorate will not punish the GP for pushing these policies. The problem for the GP has always been experience at the front line of government. If they keep their nerve they can forge a stable partnership that combines vision and experience.
if they only reform the planning system and other local government stuff that will be no mean achievement -do you know many people who have this on their agenda ?
theyll be a breah of fresh air
Yes, New Green Man, we are wondering what the Green Party is doing.
So, apart from the “three deal makers”, everything else is “negotiable”, is that right? In other words, the GP is prepared to drop the other demands.
Oh, I know, there will be one or two high-profile concessions (say, the M3?), just to keep green-thinking people from kicking up *too* much. But of course FF must keep their corporate donations, and the Shannon stopover, and…
Is there any chance that the GP might be open about this and tell us which of their policies and principles they’re prepared to abandon?
For example, the GP Health policy states: “In Government we would immediately ban water fluoridation.” But that would annoy Micheal Martin too much, wouldn’t it? So the Greens can just forget about it? I mean, it’s only the health of the Irish people, isn’t it? (As Trevor told the Dail ten years ago: “It is time to stop this crazy experiment with our health. It cannot be lawful for a state to poison its own people. We have ample evidence that fluoridation is damaging our health.”)
There were many other demands “outlined in advance of the election”.
Climate change, local government and education are certainly very important, but will the GP just forget about everything else?
So FF have found someone to replace the PDs as the party to blame when things go wrong. So when the economic downturn arives, within the next 2 years, FF will blame the Greens rather than their own mismanagement of the economy (cj Garret Fitzgerald in today’s IT).
Any ecological movement in Europe that has aligned itself with the right has disappeared. If the Greens sign up for this faustian pact they will deisappear.
Gordon
Soubresauts, you are being very narrow-minded about this! A party of 78 Seats is negotiating with a party with 6, what do you expect? Knowing the negotiating team personally I know they’ll get the best possible deal they can to implement as much of our policy as is possible but you have to work within the mandate given by the people so of course concessions will have to be made! However, I believe Shannon will be a minimum requirement having said that but don’t hold me to it!
Shannon is a minor issue. If the greens make it their main point they are fools. It will do sweet f all to damage the war in Iraq. Damage the mid-west region and achieve nothing amougest the Irish electorate. Planning is their number 1 stick.
Theres no doubt about it but the recent general election gave the greens a much higher profile, so those of us who were open to knowing them and their policies better, got much closer to them. I dont believe they will do anything daft like throwing it all away.
If the going gets tough the Greens will get going - they are not door -mat material.
Having said that, wouldnt it be a howl if they did walk ?
Glad to read in the Indo today that co-location is not a “deal-breaker” for the Greens. Only private-hospitals can more quickly provide enough private-beds to ensure that no longer will 20% of the beds in the public-hospitals be occupied by private-patients.
Simon says: “Shannon is a minor issue.” Wow, what a devastating insight!
Tell that to the people of Iraq. And to the al-Qaida people.
I’m sure lots of Spanish people were, in a similar way, playing down their country’s involvement in the war. Until the Madrid bombings, that is.
The Greens used to say: “Think globally, act locally.” And now…?
You don’t have to be “green”, or any colour at all, to see that we Irish should have NOTHING to do with that war. To be actually profiting from the war is simply… disgusting.
Will the Green Party sink that low?
Soubresauts, Shannon is a minor issue. All the smaller opposition parties raised it but it was never going to happen and they all knew it. It’s an easy compromise for anyone negotiating for government including the Indo’s, as per Finnian McGrath. They’d all like it but it is not a dealbreaker for any of them. Co-location depends on the make up of the government. If the PD’s are still in and Harney has health then it is still on. If not then it may be up for discussion. But that isn’t a dealbreaker for the Greens either.
The dealmakers as stated by New Green Man are good ones, evidence of a maturing party. FF would have no problem with 1 or 3 and I think they could go along with 2. I hope both parties are sensible on each others requirements because I think that they would make a good government coalition. And if they work out, it is a very re-electable government.
However I don’t think that it will be the Greens on their own. I believe that FF will bring the remaining 2 Pd’s in as well, giving Harney back Health, just to make the numbers safer, as it means 86 seats (87 if you count Rae). Small deals may be done on the side to keep Indo’s happy just in case of some calamity and the Greens pulled out at some stage. I do think it would be the better government and that it would be stable. I don’t see the Greens pulling out if a deal is agreed. They want to be in government and implement their policies. They will have to make concessions, but it will be worth it for them. As long as they don’t pull out, I don’t think that they will suffer at the next election. They will be a real watchdog for FF as well, which will be no bad thing. Here’s hoping they agree a deal.
soubresauts,
“…simply… disgusting. Will the Green Party sink that low?”
Agreed. Sadly, I think they will sink that low. What some people may not get is that Shannon IS a major issue for Green Party voters. If the Greens go in with FF it is likely to do them serious damage come the next election, if they don’t they’ll be seen as a slogan-based protest party. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t methinks.
If the Greens don’t go in to government, when they have the chance, they’ll be seen as an abdication party. They have a mandate as the only smaller party not to have lost a seat. I believe that most voters would be happy to have the Greens in government. It will take compromise, yes. And Shannon compared to the greater policies for the country s progression is minor. If the Greens don’t take this chance and abdicate their responsibility for establishing a stable viable government, they will hit badly at the next election. No good being a nearly party or allying yourself to an opposition block when you have a chance of governing.
I don’t know… I think if it was made clear that the reason they didn’t go into government was Shannon, then it might benefit them, but only if it was well publicised.
The latest from rte.ie:
http://rte.ie/news/2007/0603/election.html
“…described today’s talks as ‘cordial and constructive,’ but added that there were differences between the two sides which they would try to work through in the coming days….
Before going in to the meeting today, Fianna Fáil said the two parties have identified sufficient common ground to justify formal talks.”
I suppose all the normal bloggers here are having a quiet Sunday.
Hey Gordon - I think you better recheck your stats. It is not true that any Green party that has aligned itself with the right in Europe has disappeared. In fact there are not many examples but the Greens are in government with the centre right in Finland and the Czech Republic presently. In Latvia, the Greens went into a centre-right coalition in 2002 and even briefly had a prime minister. In the subsequent elections, they increased their vote - although they are no longer in government. That is the only non-contemporary example of a Green-Right alliance.
Correction. Latvian Greens are still in government.
In spite of our best efforts the prospects for an alternative coalition look remote.
What a Load of Bullshit. The Green’s refused to join the alliance for change and had no hesitation about entering talks with FF.